Contra Costa County, CA History
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta
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SOURCE: The History of Contra Costa County, California
Edited by: Frederick J. Hulaniski
Publisher: Elms Pub. Co., Berkley, CA 1917
CHAPTER II
EARLY HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA
Before proceeding with the immediate history of Contra Costa County it
might be well to give a brief outline of the early history of California -
California, whose shores Sir Francis Drake touched and Don Gaspar de Portola
explored! California, the land of sunshine and flowers! of romance and gold
"in the days of '49"!
Surely it is a promising field; but as this work is to be a history of a
locality and not that of the State, the latter will be touched upon only in as
far as is necessary to clear the way for what comes afterward - the story of
Contra Costa County.
To go back to the very beginning, the discovery and settlement of
California was made possible by that intrepid explorer, Vasco Nunez de Balboa.
When he gazed out on the Pacific from the summit of a hill in Panama a new world
was opened for discovery. He was followed by that ruthless adventurer, Hernando
Cortez, who conquered Mexico in 1519, shamelessly butchering its people and
devastating its wonderful cities.
The trend was steadily toward the north, but it was not until 1542 that a
voyage of discovery was made along the California coast. Captain Juan Rodriguez
Cabrillo it was who sailed into what is now known as San Diego Bay on September
28, 1542. In 1602 Don Sebastian Viscaino, who was sent out by Philip III of
Spain, discovered Monterey Bay, and a party under him journeyed north as far as
the Columbia River.
Then an English explorer and adventurer, Sir Francis Drake, on a marauding
expedition, appeared on the scene. It has been a much disputed point with
historians ever since as to whether it was in San Francisco Bay that Drake
wintered in 1578. It is generally conceded now that it was not San Francisco
Bay, but Drake's Bay, a few miles north of the former, and immediately under the
lee of Point Reyes. Drake called the country New Albion, and took possession in
the name of his sovereign, Queen Elizabeth. Little if any effort was made by
the English to follow in the trail blazed by Drake.
Although the Spanish settled and colonized Lower California early in the
sixteenth century, it was not until nearly two hundred years later that any
progress was made toward permanently locating in Upper California, as our State
was then called. The first permanent settlement in California was made at San
Diego in 1769. There, during the same year, the first mission was established.
From Lower California in 1769 an expedition set out under command of Don
Gaspar de Portola, first governor of California. This expedition was destined
to have a great influence on the later history of California, for it was Don
Gaspar who discovered San Francisco Bay, following a journey of innumerable
privations and hardships.
Then followed the era of missions in California. The impress of the
missions, which formed so important a part in the early history of California,
is felt to this day. They stand out as historic monuments to the piety and zeal
of their great founder, Father Junipero Serra. Beginning with the mission at
San Diego, which he founded in 1769, he established between that year and his
death, in 1784, twenty-one missions in California. In founding the mission at
Monterey he rediscovered Monterey bay, the goal of explorers ever since its
first discovery by Viscaino, in 1602. Mission San Carlos de Monterey became his
headquarters. Setting out from there, the other missions were established in
rapid succession in various parts of the country. He succeeded with the Indians
as no one else ever did before or since. He possessed a character of great
firmness, balanced by gentleness, kindness and patience - one best calculated
to deal with the Indians, thousands of whom he converted to his faith and who
universally mourned his death.
The missions were generally quadrilateral, two stories high, and inclosed a
courtyard embellished with fountains and trees. The sides of the quadrangle
were usually about six hundred feet long, and the whole inclosed the church,
storerooms, workshops, and living quarters.
Young Indian girls inhabited one portion of the mission. They were given
careful training and instruction by skilled matrons. Those who showed
exceptional talent were given vocal and instrumental training. None were
permitted to leave until of a marriageable age , this with a view of preserving
their morality. In the men's quarters the mechanical and agricultural arts were
taught.
Let us glance at the daily routine of the missions: All rose at sunrise
and proceeded to the church, where they took part in devotional exercises.
After partaking of breakfast, they took up their various duties. Following the
noonday meal, they enjoyed a siesta, or rest, until two o'clock, after which
they resumed work until about an hour before sundown, when the chimes of the
evening angelus were heard. From then until supper-time all participated in
evening devotions at the church. After supper was the time for recreation, and
all took part in dancing, in games, and in all manner of amusements. They did
not lack for food, their diet consisting of plenty of the choicest beef and
mutton, with vegetables, wheat cakes, and porridge. Such, in brief, was the
life of the Indians at the missions.
We will pass rapidly over the next period, during which California belonged
to Mexico, which acquired her independence from Spain in 1821, largely through
the efforts of one Iturbide, who during the same year caused himself to be
declared emperor of Mexico.
This was the time of great land grants. Any citizen of good character, by
the payment of a small fee to the Mexican Government, could secure a grant of
land of from one to eleven square leagues. These great domains were known as
ranchos, and their owners were rancheros. Over their broad acres ranged
thousands of cattle, since cattle-raising was the one and only industry. The
rancheros, who formed the aristocracy of California prior to American
occupation, were extremely hospitable, keeping open house the year round. They
were fond of social pleasures, especially of music and dancing, and even their
horses were taught to step in time to the guitar. Few, if any, could boast of
pure Castilian descent, a varying admixture of Indian blood being the rule, yet
many of the women were of notable beauty. Both sexes dressed in a striking and
picturesque manner. The men wore wide pantaloons, laced with ribbons through
eyelets from the waistband to the hips and fastened with immense silver buttons.
For a cloak they wore a gaily colored serape, made from a blanket with a hole
cut in the center, through which the head was inserted. The serape hung down to
the knees. They were shod with highly polished boots, from which jangled heavy
silver spurs, and a broad sombrero tilted back on their heads completed the
spectacular costume. The senoritas were no less adept at decking themselves out
to advantage, especially on a gala occasion. The favorite ballroom dress was a
scarlet petticoat, softened in tone by being covered by a white lawn skirt,
while a black velvet waist plentifully decked with spangles heightened the
attractive costume. Their only head-dress was the mantilla, or shawl. They
were the personification of grace and were famous for their dancing.
The men were skilled equestrians, and spent a large part of their time in
the saddle. One of their favorite amusements was to pick a silver dollar from
the ground while riding by at a gallop. No less skilled were they with the
riata, which formed a dangerous weapon in their hands, whether directed against
a bull, a bear, or a human enemy.
They were all devout Catholics, their priests belonging to the Franciscan
order. Numerous were the saints' days which they kept, in addition to Sundays,
which made their working week often more shorter than that observed in this
modern age of efficiency.
Their homes were built of adobe, a black clayey loam, which they made into
sun-dried bricks, admirably adapted to primitive building conditions. Rough
timbers with the bark removed were used for joists and beams, rushes and
chaparral sufficing for a thatched roof. When whitewashed within and without
the whole was beautiful in its simplicity; nor were they lacking in durability,
for many of them are in an excellent state of preservation to this day.
Beef and beans, well seasoned with chile peppers, formed the most important
part of their diet, and these the senoras were capable of preparing in many
dishes that were extremely appetizing. Their bread was made from maize ground
between two stones, and was baked in the form of thin wafers, known as
tortillas.
In 1846 the United States went to war with Mexico, after which, by the
treaty of 1848, California became American territory. One year later, a date
now Round the Horn they came in clipper ships, or across the plains behind
ox-teams. The golden halo of romance settled over California, adventurous
spirits wooed Fortune at every turn and became wealthy over night. In 1850
California had sufficient population to admit her to the Union - and here we
shall begin the history of Contra Costa County.